Various examples can be given of instances in which panels are supported in a general vertical orientation for one reason or another. The most readily apparent of these examples, and the primary application for which the present invention is intended, is one wherein panels are placed into position relative to one another to form a backdrop.
Various types of backdrops can be formed. For dramatic productions, the backdrop would, typically, be a scenery backdrop depicting a site where action is to take place. Other types of backdrops exist, however. For example, for concerts, it might be desirable to provide one consisting of a plurality of similarly reliefed sections.
In either case, however, it is important that adjacent panels be correctly aligned and that they abut one another so that corresponding lateral edges engage. In some circumstances, it might be particularly important that a plane defined by the adjacent panels be substantially vertical.
These characteristics are desireable in the case of a scenery backdrop so that lines defining the scenery are not broken and out of alignment. In the case of a backdrop for a concert, alignment and common plane definition is important so that the backdrop appears to be a single, continuous panel.
In the prior art, the intended results here-in-before defined were achieved in ways which left much to be desired. A typical structure for setting up backdrop panels employed a base frame which was disposed for movement over the floor of the stage or other surface. A pair of wheels, an axis between which defined a front of the base frame at which the panel was to be mounted, afforded maneuverability. The wheels were not free to pivot about any vertically extending axis. Rather, they defined generally parallel, vertically extending planes, and they rotated only about the axis of the axle to which they were mounted.
The base frame afforded multiple point contact, a third, and, sometimes, a fourth point of contact being provided. These additional point or points of contact were spaced rearwardly from the front of the base frame and, in some structures, employed casters which were free to revolve 360 degrees about axes which, when the support was in position, extended generally vertically.
A significant drawback to such structures was their maneuverability. While rear ends of the base frames might be able to be moved laterally, it was, typically, more important that the front ends be readily able to be moved laterally so that edges of backdrop segments could be brought into engagement. The only way this was accomplished was by moving an assembly back and forth so that it could be "worked" laterally until it was at the appropriate location.
Another problem with prior art structures--and one which is probably more significant--is one occasioned by the manner in which vertical adjustment and alignment of the panels was effected. Each point of contact, had, associated an outrigger-type structure. The outriggers were spaced laterally at some distance from the point of contact, regardless of whether that point of contact comprised a wheel disposed for rotation about a horizontal axis, or a caster which was free to rotate through 360 degrees about a generally vertically extending axis. A bottom pad of each outrigger was, normally, elevated from the surface over which the support was moved, but, once the support was in an appropriate location, the outrigger pads could be lowered to engage the floor and lift the wheels or casters to positions elevated above the floor. The outriggers, thereby, served not only as leveler adjustments, but also as brakes to hold a support and its mounted panel at a desired location.
While certain advantages were obtained by utilizing such a structure (for example, immobility of a panel once it was in position) serious drawbacks were experienced during the actual positioning process. The panels, after having been secured to their respective mounting towers extending upwardly from base frames of the various supports, were maneuvered so that their edges, it was intended, would abut when in proximity to one another.
Forward outriggers would be lowered and lower edges of the panels substantially aligned at the same height. Thereafter, rear outriggers would be lowered to bring their pads into engagement with the floor and tilt the panels so that adjacent panels which were intended to do so, defined a common plane. In the process of adjusting the tilt of the panels, however, it frequently became necessary to maneuver a support, and, in order to do this, the outriggers had to be retracted upwardly to, again, bring the wheels and casters into engagement with the floor. Fine-tuning adjustments were then made, the outriggers, therafter, again being lowered to make final alignment manipulations.
As will be able to be seen in view of this discussion, lowering and raising of the outriggers often had to have been performed repetitively. As a result, precious time was often wasted. Time economization is, however, particularly important during the staging of a play, and crew members are often severely limited in the amount of time available to make backdrop changes.
It is to these problems of the prior art and desirable features dictated thereby that the present invention is directed. It is a panel support which affords not only significant maneuverability, but also ease and econo- mization of adjustability.